Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I know I say this a lot, but I can’t believe I haven’t done this recipe yet! There are few things as easy and amazing as homemade breakfast sausage, and this is my favorite formula.

The key here is to get some properly ground fresh pork from a real live butcher. The ground pork in the meat case at the supermarket is not going to be coarse enough, not to mention the fact that the meat they used was probably chosen based on it’s inability to be sold in any other form.

Tell the butcher you want a couple pounds of freshly ground pork shoulder, and be sure to use the term “sausage grind.” This means a very coarse grind, and an adequate fat content. Anything less than 30-40% fat is just not going to make a great sausage patty.

Lastly, the overnight refrigeration really makes a big difference. All those big flavors need time to meld together, and besides, by making this in the evening for the next morning’s meal, you’ve pretty much assured yourself of some quality sausage-related dreams. Enjoy!

1 lb of sausage is more than my wife and I would eat at one sitting. How would you recommend storing this for later use? Should the cooked patties be stored? Uncooked sausage mixture (with the herbs and spices)? Or, just store the plain ground pork?

Now this is one I absolutely have to try. I'll explain why I have to try it.

There's a little diner about 15 miles south of me that thinks just pressing out ground pork is 'sausage'. I want to bring them samples of this and tell them that's how you make sausage patties. They need to learn.

And yes, I was nearly drooling the entire time I was watching this video.

a little parchment paper between the patties will help them not to stick together so much when you freeze them. Haven't been to the site for a few days and was expecting "sauce-age" but this looks even more awesome than steak sauce!

Can we get the Italian Sausage Recipe? I've been planning to make a batch of my Great Grandma's version, but wouldn't mind yours for comparison (besides, it wouldn't be fun if you didn't combine 2-3 recipes to make something unique).

Chef John, how about a little video on the care and maintenance of the ol' cast iron . I have been experimenting with seasoning my skillet for 2 years, and I am never quite satisfied. Somtimes it looks good in places, some places look sticky, some places look rusty.

cast iron cookware redo..put in oven, set oven to oven clean setting...after completion, then season the iron cookware by wiping the cookware surface using a vegetable oil and a paper towel, place iron cookware upside down upon a cookie sheet in the oven at 250 degrees for 2 hours...

Everyone loved their sausages (though one kiddo added extra syrup at the table, when I wasn't looking) and said they'd like to do a BIG batch in the commercial grade mixed at my sister's pizza shop (they make their own sausage, too) and put it in the freezer for all winter.

(ps: my oldest Grandson is a fan, going on 2yrs; and he's only just about to turn 7, guess which 'camp' he falls into? LoL!)

+1 for the Italian sausage recipe! This one looks great, too. Here in the UK there's no shortage of sausage, but being from New England I do miss the sausage I used to get in the US. Mainly breakfast sausage and Italian sausage. I've got a meat grinder waiting to be used!

Didn't you miss an opportunity for a silly joke of some kind or are you just too nice?

By the way, I grind my own pork here in Italy where I can buy "lardo" (nearly pure fat) to raise the fat content of our rather lean pork. I also use a lot more rubbed sage because "I'm the boss of my own sausage". Thanks for the great line.

Thank you for another great recipe. My family and I enjoyed it as part of this morning's breakfast. I couldn't believe how easy it was to prepare, and its great to know that we can enjoy sausage without the sulfites and preservatives.

Chef John,I am an American who now lives in the Middle East without access to pork. Can you suggest a ground meat mixture that will come close to the texture and flavor of pork sausage. I miss my breakfast comfort food. I have easy access to beef, lamb, and chicken. Thanks for all the work you put into making great videos.